Articles of footwear can include an upper and a sole assembly. The upper can include layers or sections of material that wrap about and cover a substantial portion of the wearer's foot and ankle. The upper can also include laces, straps, or the like for securing the footwear to the wearer's foot. The sole assembly can include an outsole and a midsole. The outsole can be a unitary piece of relatively high-friction material that provides traction. The midsole can include foam that is disposed between the outsole and the upper for providing cushioned support for the wearer.
Moreover, people that play soccer, rugby, American football, baseball, and the like often wear shoes with cleats. The cleats act as areas of high pressure on the sole of the footwear and can sometimes penetrate the playing surface for increased traction. The sole is typically made out of a stiff material to make the sole robust and durable. The sole may also include ribs and other features that increase the stiffness of the sole assembly.
However, some cleated footwear may be too stiff and may restrict natural flexing of the foot. For instance, when the wearer is running, the forefoot of the wearer can push off the ground while the rear of the foot is bent upwards away from the ground. If the sole is too stiff, motion of the rear of the foot off the ground may be inhibited. As such, the shoe may be uncomfortable, the wearer's performance may be reduced, etc.
On the other hand, some of these cleated sole assemblies may be too flexible and may not provide sufficient support of the foot during certain activities, such as kicking an object, slide tackling, dragging the forefoot of the shoe on the ground, etc. For instance, when kicking a ball, it is desirable for the striking foot to be substantially stiff to deliver a powerful kicking force to the ball. If the shoe of the striking foot is sufficiently stiff, the shoe can help deliver a greater kicking force to the ball. However, if the shoe is too flexible, the shoe may not sufficiently support the foot, and the kicking force may be reduced.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an article of footwear that provides a sufficient balance between stiffness and flexibility such that the footwear can be useful over a wider range of activities. Furthermore, there remains a need for an article of footwear that has cleats and that provides sufficient support, for instance, while kicking a ball or other object.